Building block and wall construction ventilated horizontally and vertically



NOV. 29, 1938. s BROZEK 2,138,724

BUILDING BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTION VENTILA'IED HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY Filed Feb. 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l I. 16 19 2 16 21 3 W B 7 6 0 F? 3 19 Stanlegp. Irogefi WWW Nov. 29, 1938. s. BROZEK 2,138,724

BUILDING BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTION VENTILATED HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY Filed Feb. .2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 29 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nmmme nnocx AND WALL oons'moo- TION VERTICAILY VENTILATED HORIZONTALLY AND '1 Claims.

My invention relates to a building block or blocks and a wall made therefrom.

An important object of the invention is to provide a block which will have the advantages of a solid block.

A further object of the invention is to provide building blocks, which when assembled, will produce a wall having adequate interior ventilation, to prevent cracking or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide building blocks so constructed that keys may be used in connection with the same which Will lock the adjacent blocks in the same layer together and also with the blocks in the adjacent layer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a wall' embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the, wall, showing the next upper layer,

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2, the keys omitted,

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a wall embodying a modification of the invention,

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on line 6-.6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a corner block, and,

Figure 8 is a similar view of an assembled wall and corner block.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, attention being called first particularly to Figure 8, the numeral l0 designates a straight wall block, which may be cast from plastic material, such as cinders and cement. The block II] is rectangular in transverse and longitudinal vertical section and comprises vertical parallel sides I l of the same height, a bottom l2 parallel with a top I3 and of the same width and parallel vertical ends l4. Formed in the opposite ends M are vertical locking recesses l5, adapted to receive locking keys IS. The recesses l5 extend through the bottom 12 and top l3. These recesses have their outer sides open and the inner side walls I1 thereof are provided with hand holes 3 for receiving the fingers, to render the manipulation of'the block easy. The numeral l9 designates intermediate pairs of vertical looking recesses adapted to receive the locking key I6. There is a pair of recesses I9 at the top l3 and bottomv 12. The recess I9 is the same width as the recess l5 and the length of the recess I9 is twice the length of the recesses l5, so that when the blocks are arranged to break joint, two assembled end recesses l5 arranged over the recesses l9 will coincide therewith.

The block 10 which is substantially square in cross section is provided upon its bottom with an air circulating or vent recess or groove 20, extending longitudinally thereof, and leading at its opposite ends into the end locking recesses I5. The block In is provided at its top I3 with a longitudinally extending air circulating or ventilating recess or groove 2|, leading at its opposite ends into the locking recesses IS. The longitudinal grooves or recesses 20 and 2| lead into the locking recess l9 and have communication with vertical vent openings 23. The vertical vent opening 23 has its side walls terminating substantially with the side walls of the grooves 20 and 2| while their end walls 24 extend beyond the end walls I9 of the intermediate locking recesses I9, af- 25 fording passages for the travel of air. It is thus seen that when the key 16 is in position, the air will be free to circulate through the vertical passages 23 about the key, whereby there will be the circulation of air vertically through the wall from one horizontal passage to the other and also horizontally through the wall.

In Figures 6 and 7, I have shown a corner block 26, having a vertical locking recess 21 at one end, passing through its top and bottom and a vertical locking recess "28 upon one side, near and spaced from its opposite end. The block 26 has hand holes 29 and 30 to receive the fingers and formed in the inner side walls of the recesses 21 and 28. The recesses 21 and 28 are open at their outer sides and extend through the top and bottom of the block, as shown. The block 26 is provided with intermediate pairs of locking recesses 3| and 32, formed in its bottom and top. These recesses have inner end walls 33. There are upper and lower pairs of intermediate recesses 3| and 32, corresponding to the upper and lower pairs of recesses l9, as shown in Figure 3. The block is provided in its bottom with an L-shaped horizontal, air circulating or vent recess or groove 34, extending longitudinallyof the block and leading into the recesses 21 and 28. At its top, the block is provided with a similar longitudinal recess 35, leading at its ends into the recesses 21 and 28. The numeral 36 designates a vertical vent placed upon a foundation 31. In this first layer the blocks H) are disposed in an end to end relation and a comer block 26 is used, Figure 1, the end 'of one block In abutting the side of the corner block in the other wall. In the next horizontal layer, the corner block is inverted so that its side locking recess 28 will register with the intermediate recesses 32 of the next lower corner block. The block III in the two walls, in the next layer, are arranged to break joint with the blocks Ill of the lower layer, and the end of one block 10 will engage the adjacent end of the corner block while the end of the block Hi in the other wall will engage the side of the corner block. It is thus seen that two of the assembled end locking recesses l I of the blocks I in the upper layer produce a locking recess registering with the intermediate locking recesses l9 in the lower block It). In a similar manner, the end recess ll of the adjacent block I0 will register with the locking recess 21 or 28 of the corner block, producing a recess to register with the intermediate recess in the block ID or comer block 26. When the several keys i6 are placed in position, they extend through the end locking recesses ll in the blocks [0 and blocks 26 and project above and below the blocks to enter intermediate locking recesses in blocks in layers above and below the same. The keys H in the lowermost layer are shorter than the remaining keys, as they do not project below the blocks. The keys therefore not only lock the blocks together in the same layer but lock the blocks together in the adjacent upper and lower layers The'longitudinal air circulating or vent recesses or grooves at the top and bottom of the assembled blocks provide relatively large air circulating passages, arranged at spaced elevations, and these horizontal passages are placed in communication with each other by the vertical vents 23, which are longer than the intermediate locking recesses and extend beyond the keys.

I contemplate providing a suitable number of the blocks near the bottom and top of the wall with air receiving openings 38, to be covered by a grate 39. The opening 38 may communicate with the vertical vent 23, either exteriorly or interiorly of the building. Air may thus be introduced into the ventilating passage of the wall near its bottom and discharged from the passage near its top.

While it is preferred to use the keys I6 for'locking the several blocks together, yet, some degree of success may be had by omitting the keys, in which event the key receiving recesses will constitute additional vertical air vents.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A building block having opposite sides of substantially the same height, said block being provided in its opposite ends with substantially vertical recesses, said block being provided in its top and bottom with longitudinal grooves leading into the end recesses, said block beingifurther provided upon its top and bottom with pairs of intermediate recesses, the inner ends of the intermediate recesses in the top being spaced from the inner ends of the intermediate recesses in the bottom.

2. A. building block having opposite sides of substantially the same height, said block being providednear its opposite ends with substantially vertical recesses passing through the top and bottom thereof, said block being provided in its top and bottom with vent grooves leading into the substantially vertical recesses, said block being provided in its top and bottom with pairs of intermediate recesses having inner walls arranged near the inner longitudinal walls of the vent grooves, said block also having a substantially vertical intermediate vent opening leading into the longitudinal vent grooves.

3. A building block having its opposite sides of substantially the same height, said block being provided near its ends with substantially vertical recesses, said block being provided in its top and bottom with vent grooves leading into the substantialy vertical recesses, saidblock being provided in its top and bottom with pairs of intermediate recesses, the pairs of intermediate recesses being spaced, said block having a transverse vent opening connecting the vent grooves, the vent opening being longer than the intermediate recesses and projecting outwardly beyond the same.

4. A corner block having its opposite sides 01 substantially the same height, said block being provided in one end with a substantially vertical recess and in one side near its opposite end with a substantially vertical recess, said block being provided in its top and bottom with vent grooves in communication with the substantially vertical recesses, said block being provided in its top and bottom with pairs of intermediate recesses.

5. A wall comprising horizontal layers of blocks, the blocks in one layer breaking joint with the blocks in the adjacent upper'and lower layers, each block being provided in its opposite ends with substantially vertical locking recesses and provided in its top and bottom with longitudinal vent grooves in communication with the end recesses, each block being provided in its top and bottom with pairs of intermediate locking recesses and also having a vertical vent opening connecting the vent grooves and arranged adjacent to the intermediate locking recesses and longer than the same to extend outwardly beyond them, the end locking recesses of assembled blocks in one layer registering with the intermediate locking recesses of the block in the next layer, and locking keys inserted within the assembled locking recesses, certain of the keys being longer than the height of the blocks and projecting into the locking recesses of the next upper and lower layers of blocks.-

6. A wall comprising horizontal layers of blocks,

the blocks in the layers being arranged to break joint, each block being provided near its opposite ends with substantially vertical locking recesses extending through the top and bottom thereof, each block being provided in its top and bottom with intermediate locking recesses, the inner ends of the intermediate locking recesses being closed, and locking keys inserted within the assembled locking recesses, certain of the locking keyshaving a length greater than the height of the blocks so that they enter locking recesses of the blocks in the adjacent upper and lower layers with respect to the intermediate layer.

'7. A wall construction comprising horizontal layers of blocks arranged to break joint, each block having vertical recesses in its ends and vent grooves in its top and bottom leading into the end locking recesses, each block having pairs of intermediate locking recesses in its top and bottom and also having an intermediate vent opening connecting the top and bottom vent grooves, the assembled end recesses of the blocks in one layer registering with the intermediate recesses of the blocks in the next layer, certain of the blocks in spaced layers having horizontal openings which lead into the vertical vent openings and also to the exterior of the blocks, and ventilators covering the outer ends of such openings.

STANLEY BROZEK. 

